Locomotive booster frame



Oct. 13, 1931. J, A, MCGREW 1,827,665

LQCOMOTIVE BOOSTER FRAME Original Filed July 14, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l @Hoz 11 Get. 13, 1931. J. A. McGREw LOCOMOTIVE BOOSTER FRAME 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed July 14, 1927 MN fw .Mmmm

Oct. 13, 1931. .1. A. MGGREW LOCOMOTIVE BOOSTER FRAME 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed July 14 1927 1 n 1 l w 3mm/toe Johlzr A. /Il 676:11.

ttozn Patented Oct. 13, 1931 n UNITED STATES JOHN .MCGREW, o'lvlALBANY, NEW YORK, AssmNoR 'ro BETHLEH'EM STEEL com- PATENT OFFICE PNY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA rooomorrvn Boos'rnn FRAME Original lapplication iiled July 14, 1927, Serialy No. 205,680. latent No. 1,742,610, dated January 7, 1930.

Divided and this application filed February 21, 1929. Serial'No. 341,711.

' to assist thesaine in moving upgra e at relatively low speed. f Y v In accordance with the invention, an auxiliary propulsion unit is provided which is particularly suitable for utilization in connection with a locomotive` tender truck and which has a number` of novel and important features of construction. Certain features of the invention are, however, of general application in the art, as will be apparent upon inspection of that form of the invention which is herein described by way of example.

One important feature of the invention con-y sists in the provision of means for readily draining liquid condensate from the steam cylinders of the auxiliary propulsion unit. It will 'be understood that the auxiliary propulsion unit itself is positioned at some distance from the main power plant or boiler of the locomotive and that, in cold weather and es- Y pecially beforethe cylinders of the unithave become suciently warm after the energizing steam is caused to flow tothe same, there is a lstrong tendency for condensation to occur.

Heretofore it has been generally deemed necessary to provide special drain valves in connection with the Vcylinders of these auxiliary propulsion'units. In accordance with this invention, however, the necessity for the use of these drain valves is dispensed with,

novel and improved means being provided for Yreadily and continually draining t-he cylinders of any liquid condensate, which may be formed therein. f

Other novel features will be more fully understood from the'following description and claims taken in connection with the ac- No. 1,742,610, issued Janu-y companying three sheets of drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an auxiliary propulsion kunit mounted on a railway vehicle truck embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken on line,2 2 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section taken on line 4- 4 of Fig. 1;

Figure 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4;

Figure 6 is a transverse section taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 4; and

Figure 7 is a detail section taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the frame of the locomotive booster engine is indicated generally by the numeral 10 having spaced overhanging journal bearings 11 and 12 formed at'its forward end and adapted to be bolted to a bearing cap and to engage the load bearing axle 13 on which is mounted centrally between the bearings 1l and 12 the driven gear 14 which meshes with a pinion 15 keyed' to the main driving shaft 16 which is journaled in spaced bearings 17 extending upwardlyV from the base plate of the frame at an intermediate point thereof. y y The main base frame 18 comprises an integral Vstructure having a bottom wall 19, upwardly extending side walls 20 and 21, front walls 22 to which the overhanving journal bearings 11 and 12areformed an rearwall23. The mam base frame 18 is also reinforced at intermediate points by means of longitudinal ribs 24 and 25 and transverse ribs 26 and 27.

The'bottom wall 19 of the main frame extends rearwardly beyond the back wall 23 as at 28 andis integrally connected to the cylinder casings 29 and 30 andsteam chests 31 and 32. The steam chests and cylinders are further connected to the bottom wall extension 28 and back wall 23 by means of vertical ribs 33 and 34, ribs 34 being connected together by means of a bracket 35 by means of which the rear end of the booster frame is suspended from the truck bolster 36, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

essary. Intermediate the steam chests B15-and ,32 which areV conf The cylinder casings 29 and 30 and steam chests 31 and 32 are each provided with pistons37 and 38 respectively. Pistons `are eachv reciprocated by fluid pressure and adapted for rotatingthe maindrive shaft 16 through the pistonfrods 39, crossheads 40, pitmen 41 connected thereto and to thecrank arml42'mounted on ltliefdrive shaft 16,

ders are each controlled by the rotation of the driving shaft l'through the piston rods `43, t

crank arms 44 and 45 secured to rock shaft 46,

crank arm 45 beingconnected by means of the pitman 48 tothe eccentric cranlr-49, said eccentric arm'49 being pivoted as at 50 to the Ycrank arm y4 2 wliicli'is 'keyed to the endof the main drivingl shaft 16 `and connected Vtothe pitman 48 'as at 51, as moreclearlydescribed and claimed in my copending parent application above mentioned, but `as this mechanism forms no party of't'hi's applicationa more detailed description of-same is notdeemed'necthe cylinders and 3()VV are nected with the steam inlet conduit 52 by vthe steam supplypassages V53 and 54 in the Y steam.V chestsV and Vcommunicate centrally through ports 55 and 5`6' in the slide valve liners 57to the pistons ofthe slide valves 38, thence it is adapted to pass when the slide valvesr38 are reciprocatedto tliesteam ports 58 lafr'1d59 in thejli'ners to"enlarged ducts 60 andl'jthrugh ports 62 and 63in the cylinders'29 and 30' whereit`-V is finally eXhausted into passages 64"and265 having ldownwardly inclined or slopingbottomvwalls 66fwhi'chen'ables. anyjcondensation from `the cylinders Y and :steam chests to be vchlscharged through exhaust'ioutlet pipe 67.

, 1 Although I have shown and'describedmy invention inconsiderable detail, I donot wish tobe limited tothe exact' and specific detailsshown and described, but, may use such substitutions, modifications or, equivalents, thereof as are embraced within-the' scope of my invention, aspointedout inthe crank shaft.y

claims.' VHaving thusjdescribed my invention `what I claim and .desire ,to-secure by Letters `Pat- Vent is l. In an engine frame,v,the'combination ofa cylinder having ports, a steamv chest, a

piston within said cylinder,a crank shaft, a :rod `connectin the latter` to said-piston, said steam chest eing provided with a steam vinletl passageway and a'steamoutlet'passage- -way,rsaid outlet-passageway being open to said cylinderand sloped downwardly sothat condensate formed in the cylinder williiow therefrom` by gravity, avalve withinsaid steam chest 'for controlling .said passageways, and means to connect saidv'alve to said 2. In a locomotive booster frame, comprising a rearward extensiom'cylinders and steam chests spaced apartrom the main frame and Vconnectedtherewith'by means ofthe rear- The supplyof iluidpressure .to the cylinwardly extending bottom wall, andvertical ribs connecting the main frame cylinder and steam chest casings together.

3. In a locomotive booster Yframe, comprising an integralzstructure, .amainframe formedfwithljournal'bearings at its forward end and having bottom, side and endrwalls,

the bottom .wall formed Ywith a Vrearwardy extension, a plurality of cylinders and steam chests in'spac'ed relation with the main iframe formed'v integral with the'bottom'- wall extension, vertical" Vribs connecting l'the' main frame cylinders and steamV chests together, o utlet'passagewaysA forfthe cylinders, said-outlet vpassageways being open tothe cylinders having downwardly inclined bottom walls so that the condensate formed'in the cylinders will iiow therefrom bygravity.L

4. In a locomotive'bo'oster frame, comprising an integral structure, a main frame formed with journal" bearings', bottom', side'and end walls, cylinders and steamlchestssp aced yapart and rigidly supportedupon themain frame, outlet pass agewayslfor the cylinders land steam chests, said outlet p assageways beingopen to the cylindersandsteam ychests and having Vdownwardly inclined"V bottom walls Yso that the condensate from the cylindersfwill' flow therefrom'by gravity. Y

5.- In a.. locomotive booster frame,5 an in'- tegral'structure, comprising a mainframe, cylindersand steamchests .rigidly supported upon' and having/steam outlet passageways,

said passageways having-downwardly 1nclined bottom ,walls adapted to convey the conedn'satey vfrom the Acylinders andYAY steam chestslby gravity tol a common' point of discharge.

wardly andinwardly inclined to permit the 7. An auxiliary propulsionunit comprising, in combination, a frame, spaced parallel steam cylinders thereon,. said7cylinders having steam [inlet and-.outlet ports therein, the 'outletl ports having: portions located at the lowermost pointsr ofthe cylinders, means for freeiiow ofliquid condensatefromsaid cylleading' steam to the cylinder inlet ports, and passageways for leading steam from the cylinder outlet ports, the floors of said pas- `sageways sloping downwardly from the cylinder exhaust ports so that liquid condensate can flow freely from the cylinders under the influence of gravity.

8. An auxiliary propulsion unit comprising a steam cylinder having inlet and outlet ports formed therein, a passageway for conducting steam to the inlet port of the cylinder, and a second passageway for conducting steam from the outlet port, the floor of the second passageway being inclined downwardly from the cylinder outlet port so that liquid condensate will flow from the cylinder by gravity.

9. An auxiliaryV propulsion unit comprising a steam cylinder having inlet and outlet ports therein7 the outlet port being positioned to permit the egress of condensate tending to collect at the lowermost point of thecylinder, a passageway for leading steam to the inlet port, and a passageway for leading steam and condensate from the exhaust port. f

In testimony whereof I hereunto aix my signature.

JOHN A. MCGREW. 

